In laundry depositing systems, especially in medical and hospital facilities, extensive precautions and care must be utilized to control the spread of germs and bacteria. Soiled laundry articles must be conveniently stored until they are removed for laundering, and hamper bags have been used for this purpose.
However, germs and bacteria become airborne and leave the soiled laundry articles to contaminate the atmosphere, thereby undesirably spreading germs to patients, medical personnel, pieces of medical apparatus and medical supplies. Prior art hamper hoods that include a side wall and a top wall comprising a pair of flaps have been used to attempt to control the spread of this airborne bacteria, but have not totally succeeded due to a gap which exists between the flaps after laundry is deposited into the laundry hamper bag. This gap in the hamper hood has allowed infectious germs to become airborne and contaminate the atmosphere and has also allowed germ-carrying insects attracted to the soiled laundry to gain access to the interior of the bag and thereafter escape, carrying infectious germs out of the bag to contaminate other articles. Control of these infectious germs is of utmost importance and prior to the present invention, control of these germs has not been satisfactorily achieved.
Another device attempting to control airborne germs is a hamper lid made of plastic or like composition. However, upon tilting a lid of this type to gain access to the hamper bag to deposit soiled laundry articles, airborne germs that have built up inside of the laundry bag are immediately released in large quantities, and contaminate the atmosphere. Also, because these lids are made of a non-cloth material, they require separate sanitary procedures to disinfect the germs that build up thereon.